Erin Brockovich

Speaker A: 00:01:52

I'm Em. Welcome to verbal diorama, episode 292, Erin Brockovich.

This is the podcast that's all about the history and legacy of movies you know, and movies you don't that can just walk in there and find what you need. They're called boobs. Listeners, welcome to Bubble Diorama.

Whether you're a brand new listener to this podcast, welcome back, regular returning listeners. Thank you for being here. Thank you for choosing to listen to this podcast.

I am, as always, so happy to have you here for the History Legacy of Erin Brockovich. It is Women's History Month, and so, unsurprisingly, all of the episodes this month on Verbal Diorama are celebrating women.

The history and legacy of women you know and women you don't, from all walks of life, from warriors to queens to single mothers and also women in sport. Last week we had the unmarried virgin Queen of England. This week, someone a little more twice divorced.

But before we jump into that, thank you so much to everyone who continues to support and listen to this podcast and has done for the last six years and over 290 episodes. It means so much to have people listening to this podcast, conversing with this podcast.

And by that, I mean me on social media about the episodes of this podcast. It is a genuine joy in my life, this podcast.

And don't get me wrong, it's hard work to do this podcast, but there are women out there who are working 10 times harder than me. Women like Erin Brockovich who really deserve to be featured and talked about and, I don't know, have a movie made of their life.

Now, if you listen to my previous episodes on the Woman King and Elizabeth, you'll remember I mentioned them being slightly inaccurate in the former and heavily inaccurate in the latter. But this is a movie that is mostly accurate to what really happened.

There are a few embellishments here and there and some timeline changes, but otherwise, this is the real story of an unemployed single mother of three struggling after a car accident who persuades her way into a clerk's job at the law firm that represented her, where she uncovers the contamination of a small town's drinking water, which would lead to one of the biggest class action lawsuits in American history. Here's the trailer for Erin Brockovich.

Speaker A: 00:06:53

Erin Brockovich, an unemployed single mother, is involved in a car accident after leaving a failed job interview.

And her outbursts in court lead to a failed lawsuit against the other driver. At her wit's end, she persuades her lawyer to give her a job to compensate for the loss.

With her appearance and attitude winning her no popularity favors, she begins to investigate a suspicious real estate case involving the Pacific Gas and Electric Company.

She discovers the company is quietly trying to buy land that was contaminated by hexavalent chromium, deadly toxic waste that the company improperly and illegally dumped in turn poisoning the residents of Hinckley, California.

As she digs deeper, Erin finds herself more evidence and more plaintiffs that would involve her law firm in one of the biggest class action lawsuits in American history against a multi billion dollar corporation. Let's run through the cast of this movie.

We have Julia Roberts as Erin Brockovich, Albert Finney as Ed Masri, Aaron Eckhart as George, Marg Helgenberger as Donna Jensen, Tracy Walter as Charles Embry, Peter Coyote as Kurt Potter, Cherry Jones as Pamela Duncan, Kochata Ferrell as Brenda and Adila Barnes as Anna, with cameos from the real Erin Brockovich as the waitress Julia and the real Edward El Masry as the diner sitting behind the family in the restaurant. And also Judge leroy A. Simmons. The judge in Barstow who delivered a key ruling in the case is played by the actual Judge, leroy A. Simmons.

Erin Brockovich was written by Susanna Grant and directed by Stephen Soderbergh. When we reach to the kitchen tap for a glass of water, the last thing we think about is groundwater contamination.

And why would we, we trust the companies providing us with utilities to our homes, like gas and electricity and running water.

That those utilities are being provided safely under strict protocols through clean pipes, fully operational power lines managed by a team of professionals. Water being especially important. We drink it, cook with it, wash in it, swim in it, water plants with it.

Not once would we question the safety of our water or the trustworthiness of the company providing us.

And so if you heard a story about an unemployed single mother who had not only found out about serious groundwater contamination, had evidence of the medical issues it had led to, and who then put a case together to not only file a lawsuit against a multi billion dollar corporation, but had won the lawsuit, earning a landmark $333 million payout for the victims, you'd probably want to make a movie out of it too, because it sounds made up, but it's not made up. The story is, according to erin Brookovich herself, 98% accurate to the real true story of her takedown of Pacific Gas and Electric.

And it really did all start with a car accident. A car accident that left the genuine Erin Brookovich needing the help of a lawyer as well as a good chiropractor.

ractor was Pam Dumond, and in: 1993

That law firm was Masri Empetito, the same law firm that had represented her for her car accident compensation.

Each session she would tell Dumond what she was doing with her work, like visiting people with all sorts of answers and investigating pollution in the water supply. Dumond started sharing Brockovich's story with a friend of hers, Carlos Santos Schamburg.

Her husband was Michael Schamberg, who was a partner of Danny DeVito.

tation of her life? And so in: 1997

Brockovich told them her story and everything about it smacked of being a great movie. So they told her they wanted to buy the rights to her story for a potential movie.

But they made it clear that just because they buy the rights, it doesn't mean a movie will definitely get made. Brockovich didn't think anything else would come of it until Susannah Grant came by the Jersey Films offices looking for a new writing project.

After picking up the rights, Jersey Films had contacted Callie Corey, the writer of Thelma and Louise, to write the screenplay. Corey passed, but then Grant landed on their doorstep shortly after, specifically wanting to write a movie about a strong female character.

She'd written the screenplay forever after, and executives mentioned that the story they had was a legal story.

Grant met Brockovich over lunch, secured the Reiting gig, and they agreed it shouldn't be a courtroom drama, but that it should be as accurate to the real story as possible. Grant shadowed Brockovich and her family for a year and went over trial transcripts, Waterboard records and Brockovich's own notes.

She also went to visit Hinkley and recalled the shock of seeing the clear line of demarcation around the pumping station between living and dead trees.

In fact, if you look at Hinkley on Google Maps satellite view now it's clear the amount of demolished housing, but also surprising how many houses still remain in the area. Now we've all played the who would play you in the Hollywood movie of your life game. For me, it's Emily Blunt.

But when asked who she wanted to play her, Erin Brockovich originally suggested Goldie Horn and that someone like Julia Roberts was a pipe dream. The real Ed Masri joked that Roberts boobs weren't big enough and her mouth wasn't foul enough.

But as it happened, someone at the ICN talent agency slipped the script to Julia Roberts agent who called to say she was interested in playing Erin Brookovich. This was even though the movie didn't have a director and three big name directors had reportedly turned it down.

And while Julia Roberts may have needed chicken fillets and a removal of her family friendly filter, one thing she also wanted was a substantial paycheck.

While men in Hollywood like Mel Gibson, Tom Hanks, Tom Cruise and Sylvester Stallone had commanded $20 million salaries for years, no woman had ever been able to negotiate that amount. Only Meg Ryan and Jodie Foster had gotten remotely close at $15 million.

Roberts was the first female movie star to break that $20 million glass ceiling. But they had to work to get it. Universal Pictures was initially reelected to hand Roberts the record breaking paycheck.

Her agent, Elaine Goldsmith Thomas, convinced the studio by pointing out the double standard of Roberts having five movies that grossed more than $100 million. Male stars like Leonardo DiCaprio or Adam Sandler had commanded $20 million salaries after scoring only one hit of that magnitude, let alone five.

And in true Erin Brockovich style, the argument won the day. Julia Roberts became the first female movie star to get $20 million for a leading role.

And it just so happened she was getting it for Erin Brookovich as the big star in the movie. One of the things Julia Roberts would have a major say in is choosing who the director would be.

And this is where we get to Steven Soderbergh, who's only taken 292 episodes to appear on this podcast. And Soderbergh has, for the most part, had a history of treating female characters with respect.

His most recent movie at that time was out of Sight, which had included a career best turn for Jennifer Lopez. It's still one of her best movies, and the chemistry between her and George Clooney was palpable.

Although, let's be honest, George Clooney would probably have chemistry with a paper bag.

Steven Soderbergh was captivated by the relationship between Erin Brockovich and Ed Masri and commented on the human sized heroes at the center of the story.

What appealed to him most about Erin Brockovich was working with Julia Roberts on a film that would clearly expand her horizons and also developing Brockovichian's character.

ipal photography began in mid-: 1999

At that meeting were Ed Masri, Erin Brookovich, Steven Soderbergh, Carlos Santos Schamberg, Susanna Grant, Jersey co chairman Stacy Scherr and an attorney for Universal. At the meeting, Soderbergh went through the script line by line with Masri and Brockovich asking, did this happen? If not, what did happen?

The biggest change in the script to come out of that meeting was the decision to place more emphasis on Masri's involvement.

Originally, the movie had Brockovich gathering the signatures of Hinckley residents to join the lawsuit, but that was changed to show Masri's actual involvement, as well as the toll it took on Masri to actually be involved. The real lawsuit nearly bankrupted Ed Masri. His law firm had run out of money. He remortgaged his home and the law firm didn't take on any new cases.

He had 30 to 60 days of operating capital left when he was joined in the fight by two other legal practices, Girardi Kees and Engstrom Lipscomb and Lack. Together they contributed $12 million of their own cash into waging the legal fight against PG and E.

But any may be based on a true story that only happened a few years prior. Is still treading on very dangerous ground when you're depicting a real case against a real billion dollar corporation.

In Grant's screenplay, which received uncredited rewrite by screenwriter Richard Nagraval, real life Hindley residents became composites.

The two principal big city lawyers, Girardi Keith from down downtown Los Angeles and Engstrom Lipscomb Lack from Century City, who joined Masri invoicing. PG and E were condensed for dramatic purposes into one man, Kurt Potter, played by actor Peter Coyote.

o had lived in Hinckley since: 1976

She had five stomach surgeries and three breast surgeries. Both of her daughters had hysterectomies and fibromyalgia. And her husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

In: 1993

PGE would buy this house from them too.

Electric, which concluded in: 1996

The legal proceedings, evidence of hexavalent chromium contamination and PG and E's actions were documented in court records, which are public information.

Universal Studios and Jersey Films had their legal teams thoroughly review the scripts and the final film to ensure the portrayal was accurate enough to withstand potential defamation claims.

And even if PGE did sue for defamation, it would likely only bring more attention to the original case and potentially damage the company's reputation further. Now, of course, it doesn't mean everything in the movie was completely accurate.

Some scenes were altered for dramatic effect or for less dramatic effect, like in real life. Erin Brockovich did become sick from exposure to the toxins in the water in Hinckley.

But they felt that including that as a subplot would take away from the people she was fighting for. The scene where an attorney is presented with a glass of water specially selected from Hinckley was created for the movie.

But it did actually happen at a trial. But as no trials were shown, they decided to move it elsewhere. How Erin finds out about the pumping station records is different too.

There was no mysterious older man following her around and finally telling her that he worked at pumping station and he'd been ordered to destroy documents. In real life, there were two whistleblowers, a man and a woman. All the facilities historical records were dumped at a place known as the Boneyard.

was put in the system between: 1952

And just like in the movie, she thought he wanted to pick her up. But instead he told her off the boneyard.

And that is how they got the necessary evidence to prove the corporate PG and E knew about what PG&E in Hinckley was doing. Her boyfriend, George Halaby, didn't live next door. They met at a bar.

He actually noticed her potentially being roofied, stopped her from drinking the drink and offered to buy her a better one. He was a ponytailed biker dude and he was the one who introduced her to lawyer Jim Petito, not Ed Masri. And she was Ms. Pacific coast, not Ms. Wichita.

And it turned out having a movie made of your life, and a successful Academy Award winning one at that, which I'm going to come to, is Lord Roses.

Her then ex boyfriend, George Hallaby, joined forces with her first ex husband, Sean Brown, to blackmail erin Brockovich for $310,000, threatening to tell the public she'd been having an affair with Ed Masri. Her second husband, Stephen Brockovich, sued her for defamation.

And as the Hinckley case received new attention, detractors started to question whether cancer rates were truly higher than average there. While the movie was a huge success, Julia Roberts performance was lauded. And the real Erin Brookovich moved on to other cases.

The real residents of Hinckley, California were quietly upset about the whole thing. Some of them suggested the movie's ending misrepresented what happened. And that the actual amounts received were far less than originally thought.

Since the case never went to trial and was settled behind closed doors before a panel of arbitrators.

Neither transcripts of the proceeds nor records of how the settlement was dispersed have ever been made available to the public or even to the victims themselves. Had the case gone to trial, the transcript and the disbursement would be a matter of public record. As depicted in the movie.

Many of the residents wanted a full trial and didn't like the idea of arbitration. The resulting compensation was often a lot less than expected, even taking the fees into account.

And a number of beneficiaries to the settlement planned to sue their lawyers, including Brockovich's firm, Masri and Petito.

They also complained that their lawyers kept the money for six months after the settlement was made without paying the interest, and that there was little or no apparent logic behind the varying amounts of money that they received. Although some residents suggested that the closer you were with Masri and Brockovich, the more money you ended up receiving.

Under their agreement with Ed Masri and the two other law firms, the lawyers received 40% the settlement, or $133 million. That should have left $200 million for the victims, or roughly $300,000 each.

But many received $100,000 or less, and neither PG&E nor the lawyers would release records of their accounting. There was also the issue of the settlement to the town's 100 sick children.

Under Californian law, lawyers are only usually allowed to take 25% of any payout to minors. But the judges in this case allowed the lawyers to take one third.

eased a statement ABC News in: 2021

Three decades after Erin Brockovich's crusade to clean a Pinkley quote At Pacific Gas and Electric company pge, the safety of our customers, communities and employees is our most important responsibility.

sor station in Hinkley in the: 1950

Our solution, which has been approved by regulators, utilizes treatment in place systems in areas that have the highest levels of chromium.

One of the largest in place barrier treatment systems for metals in the world and an innovative and sustainable remediation method that treats lower levels of chromium by growing alfalfa and other fodder crops. PGE has made significant progress in cleaning up the highest concentrations of Chronium 6 in groundwater.

The remedy has removed more than 5,600 pounds of Chromium 6 from groundwater to date, representing more than 70% of the estimated release.

By partnering with local farmers, PGE's agricultural operations boost the local economy, preserve farmland, support California's climate change goals and foster working relationships towards shared community goals. To facilitate this work and in response to property owners request request, PGE has purchased properties and undeveloped land in Hinckley.

As we responsibly manage our cleanup, PGE is working with community stakeholders to help plan for Hinkley's future. We are committed to doing what's right for the Hinkley community and we will be here until we finish the job.

PGE remains committed to listening and responding to the Hinckley community with readily available information about our programmes.

PGE also continues to work with key community stakeholders to improve our local presence in the Hinckley community and support community investment priorities focusing on youth health and wellness, education and workforce development.

Our local community office continues to partner with the county and local nonprofits for workforce training, health fairs, community cleanup days and educational tours. Unquote. Sure, Jan, it's now time to segue into the obligatory Keanu reference of this episode.

And if you don't know what that is where I joined the movie that I'm featuring with Keanu Reeves.

March: 2000

It opened at number one at the domestic box office, staying there for three weeks, only being dethroned in its fourth week by rules of Engagement, Erin Brockovich came out the same week as Final Destination and Romeo Must Die. It even saw off the Road to El Dorado in its third week by only a million dollars or so on its $52 million budget.

Which is even more remarkable when you realize that $20 million of that, that's 38% of the budget just paid Julia Roberts on his $52 million budget. Erin Brockovich grossed $125.6 million domestically in the US and $130.7 million internationally for a total worldwide gross of $256.3 million.

in North America for the year: 2000

It has an 85% of Rotten Tomatoes stating Taking full advantage of Julia Roberts considerable talent and appealing, Erin Brockovich overcomes a few character and plot issues to deliver a smart, thoughtful and fully legal drama.

With almost all critics showering Roberts and Albert Finney with praise for their performances and the critical praise towards Roberts and Finney continued into awards season.

Erin Brockovich was nominated for five Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress for Roberts, Best Supporting Actor for Finney, and Best Original Screenplay. Julia Roberts would win her first and so far only Academy Award for Best Actress.

She would also take home the Best Actress BAFTA with the film being nominated for six baftas in total for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor for Albert Finney, Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing.

And Julia Roberts would take the Golden Globe for Best Actress too, as well as the the SAG Award for Best Actress and the Critics Choice Award as well. Don't feel too bad for Steven Soderbergh, though.

He was nominated for Best Director Academy Awards twice that year, once for Erin Brookovich and once for Traffic. And he took home the award for Traffic. This Women's History Month will be told many stories of women fighting for rights for education to be heard.

What I love about the Erin Brockovich story isn't so much the story itself, although it is remarkable, but the story of Erin. Not only was she a single mother, but also an unemployed single mother. Those two things are often vilified by society as a whole.

So you have this vilified unemployed single mother also dressed in a certain way that didn't cover her shoulders and her ankles. Oh my. By all accounts, Julia Roberts wardrobe in this movie is modest compared to what Brockovich actually wore.

And it goes a long way to promote the Don't Judge a book by its cover saying don't judge women who wear short skirts or tight tops. Don't judge single mothers. Don't judge unemployed people. Erin Brockovich may not have been book smart, but she was smart.

She was tenacious, she was resourceful, she was hard working. And all it took was someone to give her a chance. Look what incredible single mothers can do if they're given a chance.

Look what any incredible woman could do if she were just given that chance to shine. Now, of course, it does help that she's played by Julia Roberts in this movie. And Julia Roberts was on a hot Streak at the time.

After starring in My Best Friend's Wedding, Conspiracy Theory, Stepmom, Notting Hill and Runaway Bride, she was indisputably the world's most famous actress. With a killer smile, but with the chops to pull it all off. Julia Roberts is a natural in this role.

Erin may have a potty mouth, but she's lovable and dedicated and refuses to give up her newfound success for anyone. No fancy law degree or business suit can match the genuine empathy, hope and friendship offered to the people of Hinckley by Erin Brockovich.

And Julian Roberts just taps into that.

It's also refreshing to see a: 2000

Okay, so they break up, but only because he starts to be seen as more of a babysitter than a partner and wants to feel appreciated. Which is basically what every mother who is the primary caregiver of the children has ever or will ever want.

Women had to cater to men's careers and wants and needs for centuries. But even after the breakup, George is still there to look after the kids because he loves those kids and good dads.

years. When Ed Masri died in: 2005

She proved so vital at speaking to the people in community meetings in Hinkley that Masri always told her he saw her career going the way of public speaking. In the wake of the film, she tried her hand at TV with short lived shows like Challenge America with Erin Brookovich and Final Justice.

But Ed Masri was right. Because Ed Masri was always right. Erin Brockovich became a well known public speaker and activist.

like such a weird anomaly in: 2025

It wouldn't be a big cinema movie. The fact it was re released in cinemas only a couple of weeks ago for its 25th birthday is just testament to the strength of this movie.

Not just of its performances or its feel good earnestness, but for the sad fact that the environment is something we should actually all care about. We should be investing in ways to ensure things like this never happen again. Even though they did, and they do, multiple times.

Billionaire companies can sit in their ivory towers ignoring the pollution issue for as long as possible, and somehow their consciences remain clear.

But the truth is, without people like Erin Brockovich, not necessarily the legal system which is always in favour of lawyers making as much money as possible, these people or people like them would never have received any sort of justice.

And while of course the payout was record breaking at the time, it's still nothing compared to the pain and suffering of those people and the fact they'll have to live with their illnesses for the rest of their lives.

This is the story of how a multi billion dollar company knowingly and willfully poisoned the ground for years, leading to decades of disease, death and trauma for an entire town paid next to nothing to settle the subsequent lawsuit, and then continued with business as usual afterwards. Regardless of statements to the contrary, it's tragic that human lives cost so little to other humans, regardless of the outcome.

The fact we got a movie out of this story is astonishing. The story itself is astonishing. And Erin Brockovich will always be the name people think of when they think of a woman who fights for justice.

A woman with three kids, two ex husbands, one Ms. Pacific coast title, and no law degree. Women get sh. T done. Ah, my family friendly filter is still on. Unlike Erin. Thank you for listening.

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ng and her connections to the: 1994

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